Article dispenser including a reciprocating ejector



E. HAAS 3,263,860

ARTICLE DISPENSER INCLUDING A RECIPROGATING EJECTOR Aug. 2, 1966 Filed July '7, 1964 FIG.I

Sparrow 0nd Sparrow ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,263,860 ARTICLE DISPENSER INCLUDING A RECIPROCATING EJECTGR Eduard Haas, Attersee, Austria, assignor to Centromint C0., Vaduz, Liechtenstein, a corporation of Liechtenstein Filed July 7, 1964, Ser. No. 380,753 3 Claims. (Cl. 221274) This invention relates to self-service dispensers for standardized flat packages containing candies, cigarettes, razor blades and the like, and particularly to such dispensers which, at the same time, serve as display stands.

Dispensers displaying flat packages that can be set up on counters in candy stores, near the cashiers place in restaurants, supermarkets, newsstands and the like public places are known from which the little packages have to be taken by the buyer with the fingers. Although this procedur might be easy enough, it leaves much to be desired because it tends to disturb the rest of the packages in the dispenser-display stand, causing jamming of same in the latter. It is intended by this invention to improve this condition. The invention consists in such novel features, construction arrangements, combinations of parts and improvements as may be shown and described in connection with the apparatus herein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative of a preferred embodiment.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practicing the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

It is an object of this invention to provide for a new contrivance for dispensing substantially flat packages containing candy, cigarettes or the like and (for displaying same.

Another object of the invention is to provide for a novel dispensing device by which the flat packages only may be taken out one at a time.

A further object of the present invention is to provide easily operable mechanical means for withdrawing but one package at .a time from the display dispenser.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an attractive self-service dispenser for small flat packages which cannot be jammed by clumsy handling.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a simple and sturdy dispensing device which can be manufactured economically.

Various further and more specific purposes, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which forms part of this specification and illustrates merely by way of example one embodiment of the device of the invention. In the following description and in the claims, parts will-be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a dispenser, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of the lower part of the dispenser in a larger scale, partly broken away; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the dispensing mechanism, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment by which the invention may be realized, there is disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 an upright display stand and dispenser, generally designated by numeral 10, having a hollow base 11 and a hopper 12. The front panel of hopper 12 is replaced by two side guides 13 ice and 14, so that the flat packages 15 therein are visible. The rear wall 16 of hopper 12 is preferably slightly inclined for convenience. Base 11 is shown as a substantially box-like structure which has a top 17 forminga support or bottom 18 for maintaining packages 15 in stacked relation in hopper 12. Top 17 preferably slopes in a forward direction so that dispensed packages 15', when ejected, may slide forwardly to be picked up by the buyer. The two side guides 13 and 14 do not extend entirely down to support or bottom 18, but leave a space 19 through which a single package may be ejected from or pushed out of hopper 12.

The dispenser mechanism is located within base 11. A bracket 20 is provided which supports two short shafts 21 and 22. A bell-crank lever 23 is mounted on shaft 21. On one arm 23' of lever 23 is a depressible member or push bar 24 which protrudes over top 17 through a hole 25. The other arm 23' supports a shaft 26 on which two linkage bars 27, 28 are swingably mounted. A swing arm 29 is mounted on shaft 22. A protrusion 30 carries a short shaft 31 on which the two linkage bars 27, 28 are swingably arranged. Rods 32, 33 extending from both sides of swing arm 29 each carry a curved ejector arm 34, 34 which may reach through openings 35, 35' of rear wall 16. Near the end of arm 2 of lever 23 which supports shaft 26 is a hook-shaped member or nose 36. A spring 37, which may be fastened on base 11, is bent around shaft 21 and engages hook member 36. By pushing bar 24 downward, curved ejector arms 34, 34' are swung around shaft 22 by the linkage bars 27, 28. Projecting through openings '35, 35' they push or eject the lowermost package 15' forward out of hopper 12 onto the slanting portion of member 17 so that it can be removed by the purchaser. At the same time ejector arms 34, 34' hold the other packages 15 from dropping. Thus, only one package at a time can be taken out. Spring 37 retracts the mechanism to rest position after release of push bar 24.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a certain preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will .be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention that various other changes and modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for substantially flat packages, comprising: a stand having a hopper and a hollow base, said hopper having an inclined rear wall, said base having a closure forming a bottom for said hopper upon which said packages are stacked and a slide for said packages, a bracket attached to said base, a first shaft mounted in said bracket, at least two curved ejector arms swingably mounted on said first shaft, said rear wall having openings adjacent said bottom, a second shaft mounted in said bracket substantially parallel to said first shaft, a bell crank lever rotatably mounted on said second shaft, said lever having two arms, one of said arms carrying a push member and the other of said arms carrying a third shaft, a hook member on said other of said arms, a spring attached to said base and engaging said hook member, and linkage members connecting said third shaft with said ejector arms, said ejector arms being arranged during their swinging movement when said push member is depressed to project through said openings and push forward the lowermost of said packages onto said slide, said spring being adapted to return said ejector arms and said push member to normal inoperative positions upon release of said push member.

2. A dispenser for packages comprising a stand having a hollow base and a hopper located above said base, said hopper having an inclined rear wall, a support at the bottom of said hopper for maintaining said packages in stacked relation, a first shaft mounted in said base, ejector said lever means having two arms, one of said arms carrying a push member and the other of said arms carrying a third shaft, a hook member on. said other of said arms, spring means in said base engaging said hook member, and linkage means connecting said third shaft with said ejector means, said ejector means being arranged during their swinging movement when said push member is depressed to project through said openings and push forward the lowermost of said packages.

3. A dispenser for substantially fiat packages, comprising a stand having a hopper and a box-like base, said hopper having a slightly inclined rear wall, said base having a top forming a bottom of said hopper, said rear wall of said hopper having at least two openings adjacent said bot-tom, a bracket attached to said base, ejector means swingably mounted on said bracket for dispensing said flat packages, said ejector means having at least two curved arms, said arms being arranged for. projecting through said openings, linkage means connected to said ejector means, a spring-loaded bell crank lever articulated on said linkage means, said bell crank lever rotatably located in said bracket, and a push bar on said bell crank lever for operating same, said top having an opening and said push bar extending through said latter opening.

7 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 831,169 9/1906 Long 22l274 1,755,655 4/1930 Langenfeld 221-276 2,247,834 7/ 1941 Davis 221-276 2,250,351 7/1941 Blake 22l274 2,587,225 2/ 1952 Rossi 22l276 FOREIGN PATENTS 715,959 10/1931 France.

724,597 1/ 1932 France.

211,552 7/ 1909 Germ-any.

223,449 9/ 1942 Switzerland.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. WALTER SOBIN, LOUIS I. DEMBO, Examiners. 

1. A DISPENSER FOR SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PACKAGES, COMPRISING: A STAND HAVING A HOPPER AND A HOLLOW BASE, SAID HOPPER HAVING AN INCLINED REAR WALL, SAID BASE HAVING A CLOSURE FORMING A BOTTOM FOR SAID HOPPER UPON WHICH SAID PACKAGES ARE STACKED AND A SLIDE FOR SAID PACKAGES, A BRACKET ATTACHED TO SAID BASE, A FIRST SHAFT MOUNTED IN SAID BRACKET, AT LEAST TWO CURVED EJECTOR ARMS SWINGABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST SHAFT, SAID REAR WALL HAVING OPENINGS ADJACENT SAID BOTTOM, A SECOND SHAFT MOUNTED IN SAID BRACKET SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST SHAFT, A BELL CRANK LEVER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND SHAFT, SAID LEVER HAVING TWO ARMS, ONE OF SAID ARMS CARRYING A PUSH MEMBER AND THE OTHER OF SAID ARMS CARRYING A THIRD SHAFT, A HOOK MEMBER ON SAID OTHER OF SAID ARMS, A SPRING ATTACHED TO SAID BASE AND ENGAGING SAID HOOK MEMBER, AND LINKAGE MEMBERS CONNECTING SAID THIRD SHAFT WITH SAID EJECTOR ARMS, SAID EJECTOR ARMS BEING ARRANGED DURING THEIR SWINGING MOVEMENT WHEN SAID PUSH MEMBER IS DEPRESSED TO PROJECT THROUGH SAID OPENINGS AND PUSH FORWARD THE LOWERMOST OF SAID PACKAGES ONTO SAID SLIDE, SAID SPRING BEING ADAPTED TO RETURN SAID EJECTOR ARMS AND SAID PUSH MEMBER TO NORMAL INOPERATIVE POSITIONS UPON RELEASE OF SAID PUSH MEMBER. 